Apples to Apples
by spoops
Summary: Twilight Sparkle gets a rude awakening when she gets a letter from Princess Celestia.
1. Chapter 1

I had never given much thought to the future; I tend to live life one day at a time. Studying takes up so much of my time, I barely have time to eat... so, when it dawned on me that everypony around me was getting on with their lives and I wasn't, it came as quite a shock.  
>Princess Celestia had taken me under her wing, and as it turned out, my youth had passed me by before long. Rarity had found her prince charming, and ditched Ponyville for Canterlot, and Rainbow Dash was busy with her new routines as the lead pegasus in the Wonderbolts to remember her friends. Even Fluttershy and Pinkie were settled down with stallions of their own, and well, Applejack was running Sweet Apple Acres since Granny Smith passed away.<p>

All the elements found their very own harmony. And where did that leave me? Alone.

I spent half of my youth wishing to be alone with my beloved books and library, and the other half sealing the deal. I was going to be alone. Forever.

The day I realized it, it took me by surprise. It was a day like any other. Beautiful. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was holed up in my library. Since Spike had grown up, he had taken to a different job. His teenage years were trouble for the library. Once, he had sneezed and nearly torched the entire place. Thus, he had started a different job, outside.

I had gone outside briefly, to check the mail. The flag on the mailbox was up, and the back of an unmistakable dragon was turning to walk away from it. A squashy cap and a postman s bag were on him, clearly indicative of Spike's new career.  
>The bell on the door chimed as it closed behind me, alerting Spike, notifying him of my presence. I grumbled a bit under my breath. The last thing I needed was to be recognized by the now grown-up dragon who I had fired on bad terms.<p>

Spike turned around to face me. "Wow, Twilight, I never thought I'd see you out of your cave."  
>I roll my eyes at him and flip my mane over my shoulder. "Yeah, whatever, just give me my mail."<br>Digging in his bag, Spike pulled out a few letters and handed them to me, an unmistakable scowl on his face.

I check over the mail, sorting it using my magic. Simple tasks like this have never been a challenge for me, but now they seem almost too simple. A few bills here and there; bills are yet another unwelcome part about growing older. Eventually, I stumble upon a scroll with Princess Celestia's royal seal imbued upon it.  
>Spike is still idling near me, clearly interested in what Princess Celestia's letter says. I furrow my eyebrows at him. "What are you hanging around for? You're not my assistant anymore. This letter is now between Celestia and myself. No stinking dragons allowed." It seems almost childish, but I m tempted to stick my tongue out at him.<br>Spike recoils, as if what I've said has cut him deep. "Geez, Twi, I knew you were becoming a hermit, but I never thought you'd turn into.. this.." he says, his lips puckered slightly as he looks at me in disgust.  
>He motions to leave, and I say nothing. I know I've grown distant from my friends lately, and it's no wonder why. I repulse everyone I come near now.<br>Sighing, Spike finally leaves, but before I can get back into the safety of my library, he looks over his shoulder at me, pain written all over his face. "You know, if I were you, I would stop pushing away the people who are trying to help you. You're going to end up sore and alone if you don't."  
>I snort at him to close the subject and retreat back into the familiar, musky room, inhaling the calming scent of rotting parchment and dust as I close the door behind me.<p>

I ditch the bills and take the scroll up to my bedroom. It's been a while since the Princess and I exchanged letters. In fact, she hasn't written to me since I let Spike go. What could be so important now that she has to use manual mail to get a hold of me?  
>Before I even break the seal on the scroll, my mind is already swimming with possibilities. She could be writing to tell me how disappointed she is with me, for not growing up and letting go of my iron grip on studying and magic. It seems less likely that she is actually interested in my doings, wondering what I've learned since we stopped communicating. Fear and dread overcome me as I stare down the rolled up piece of parchment. I know we've had our differences, and I'm not exactly a model student anymore, but I'm not a silly filly anymore, either. I realized that my friends were only holding me back, so I severed the ties before it could interfere with my work.<p>

I break the seal on the scroll and open it up, my eyes hungrily and greedily scanning the elegant scrawl of her Majesty's hoof.

'My dearest, most faithful student, Twilight...  
>It has come to my attention that you have taken up life as a hermit.'<p>

I skim through the next few paragraphs, uninterested in Celestia informing me of things I already know. It isn't until I read over the last few sentences that my heart stops inside of my chest.

'Thus, I think it would be a good idea if you gave up magic for a few months. I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that for the next three months, you, Twilight Sparkle, are forbidden to use magic, or enter the library. I have made arrangements for you to stay with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres until you have come to your senses.

All my love,  
>Princess Celestia.'<p>

My fur bristles with what I can only guess to be sheer and utter disbelief. I can practically feel the world swirling around me. No magic for three months?

I'm still in shock as my safe and familiar library becomes hostile territory. Being in here is against the decree of the Princess. But, why? I was perfectly fine being miserable and alone, so why couldn't anyone see that? I had accepted my fate, why couldn't they?

I briefly think about rebelling against the decree. It would get me jailed. Worse, even, if Celestia wished it.  
>My fur is still standing on end when a knock comes at my door. My immediate reaction is to grab as many books as I can hold in my hooves and barrel out the window to find reprieve in rebellion. But, my mind discards the thought and turns me toward the door instead.<br>I pull it open manually, finding none other than Applejack and Big Mac staring me in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Sugar Cube," Applejack says as she pushes in through the door, a patronizing look on her face.

"Oh, great." I say, my own face contorting into a grimace. Princess Celestia probably figured I wouldn't go without a fight.

"Hey now, Twi, we're just tryin' ta help." Applejack actually looks hurt when she sees that I'm still bristling, consciously readying myself for a fight.

I snort. If I was going to use magic, it would be easy. Even if Big Mac looks murderous. I glance over my shoulder at him as he trots into the room, my eyes flicking to the dirt shaking off his hooves into my precious library. He follows my gaze and then narrows his eyes at me, his tail flicking impatiently. Naturally, he says nothing, but the look he is giving me is a warning.

Frowning, I turn back to Applejack. "Yeah, well, I don't care if it's a royal decree. I'd rather die than stop using magic!" My eyes squint shut as I attempt channeling enough power to make the Apples disappear from my library. A few seconds pass. Nothing is coming. Big Mac and Applejack just stare at me, confused, just as I am. Not a few minutes ago, magic was mine to control. Now, I can't even get my horn to glow.

I try again. This time, I hold my breath and squint, trying and trying until my cheeks are flushed and tears are stinging my eyes. I don't understand what is happening. My magic is gone, but somehow I know it's the work of the Princess. I bite back tears as I come to the realization that this is my fate. Sweet Apple Acres, banished from Ponyville's library. Well, if I can't use magic, I can still fight my fate. Celestia was right. I certainly won't be going down without a fight.

I rear up on my hind legs, kicking my front hooves at the ponies I used to consider friends. I make a mad dash for the door, managing to get past Big Mac.

It's over before it even begins. Big Mac tosses Applejack a lasso, and it's around me before I can say 'Starswirl'. Between the two of them, I can tell that they came to subdue me rather than walk me to my fate. Big Mac takes the end of the lasso between his teeth and drags me outside.

I'm still fuming as Applejack forces a strong looking branch under the rope that now binds my hooves together. Eventually, I'm hoisted up by both of them, the branch riding on their backs, with me, upside down, hung like a sacrificial pig to be roasted on an open flame.

"Oh, ponyfeathers," I say as we pass Sugar Cube Corner and Carousel Boutique, making a loop around the entirety of Ponyville. They aren't taking me directly to the orchard, either. I mumble a string of profanities at them. They are parading me around town to make sure that everypony gets a good look at me. Rebel, hermit, loner. Punished.

By this time, I've given up mumbling. I might as well milk it for all it's worth. My voice is hoarse by the time that we actually arrive at the Acres, due to the screaming I was doing on the way. Halfway through Town Square, Mac shoves an apple in my mouth, shutting me up, but making me look all the more like a roasting pig. All the way, Applejack refused to look at me, although Mac seemed to be enjoying watching me getting what was coming to me.

Once they reached the barn, Applejack set her end of the branch down, Mac bucking his end, so that I landed on my side on a patch of hay. Still refusing to look at me, Applejack unties me and throws the branch off to the side. I rip the apple out of my mouth, spitting the taste out of my mouth. "What in Ponyville was all that about, then?" I demand, my voice at least one octave lower than normal, due to the constant screaming.

Applejack evades my gaze as she kicks at the ground. For some reason, there's shame and guilt written all over her face. She's not saying anything, and it makes me uneasy. It's even worse than watching her attempt to lie. This is something she doesn't even want to talk about. Honest Applejack, not wanting to break the truth to me.

I'm so disturbed by Applejack that I don't even notice Apple Bloom joining us. I had never really paid much attention to her, although she has grown since I last remember seeing her. She's probably just leaving her pre-teen phase; she's not quite full size yet, but she's lost the tell-tale bow. Her mane is swept to the side, and curled, reminding me a lot of Rarity's old style. And there, on her flank, is her cutie mark... but there's something weird about it. It's a single, blood-red apple. Normal, for a family of Apples, I guess, asides from the thin film covering the middle of the apple. It looks a bit like it's been recently painted over to hide something.

Apple Bloom trots toward me, her manicured hooves shining in the light of the barn. I'm even more confused as she comes further toward me, then stops a few feet short of me. She sits on her haunches and looks at me, a disapproving look in her eyes, her lips turned down in a slight frown. After a while, she speaks.

"Ok Twilight, I bet you're wondering why you're here." She says, her tone scarily familiar to Rarity's.

I raise my eyebrow at her. "No, not really. It was a pretty straightforward letter."

Amused by my answer, Apple Bloom cackles, high-pitched and fake. "See, Mac, I told you she would think it was a real letter!" Once she's finished giggling, she shakes her head at me as if she were speaking to a child. "Really, Twilight, I thought you were smarter than that! Given your freakishly big head, and all. No, actually, Princess Celestia has nothing to do with it. Actually, she thinks you want nothing to do with magic anymore. We sent her a letter for you, telling her you were going to give up magic and live with Zecora, and that you hated her. Bla bla bla." Apple Bloom waves her hoof at me dismissively.

"What?" I say, hardly daring to believe that this is actually happening. Was I just... kidnapped in broad daylight? Even if that's true, what in Celestia's name does any of this have to do with anything? Maybe hanging upside down for so long has damaged my brain in some way. I stare at Apple Bloom, my eyes furrowed as I try to make sense of it.

"Come on, Twilight, it shouldn't be hard to follow. Then again, Princess Luna did say that you might be a little slow on the uptake." She folds one leg over the other, brushing her hair to the other side of her shoulders. "We forged that letter. Applejack is actually pretty good at it, would you believe?" She cackles again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Applejack flinch as she is drawn into the conversation at hand. She knows something - knew something - and isn't telling me what's going on. I was right to be apprehensive of the situation when I saw her ridden with guilt.

I frown at her, then look back at Apple Bloom, trying to keep a cool head and make sense of whatever is going on. "So, you needed me to realize that I couldn't use my magic? That still doesn't explain how you managed to sap my powers."

Apple Bloom barely opened her mouth when it dawned on me. Princess Luna. "Ah." I say, a sick feeling sinking into the very pit of my stomach. My fur is still bristling, even worse than back in the library. "Princess Luna needs me for something, so she's stopped my magic and put you three on the job. Well, congratulations. I'm here."

My response throws Apple Bloom for a loop. Perhaps she was expecting a struggle. She raises an eyebrow at me, trying to read my face.

It's no use, I just stare back at her blankly. Inside, I'm in full-blown panic mode, but my face and tone suggest nothing but slight impatience and boredom.

After a while, Apple Bloom gives up trying to read me, and scowls at me. "Don't even bother trying to escape, either. The rest of Ponyville thinks you're a loony." She stands, flicking her tail at me as she turns to exit the barn. "Come on, Mac, we'll let Applejack watch Twilight for the first shift."

I watch as Mac trots after Apple Bloom, the two of them practically guffawing about my apprehension. They haven't yet reached the door when I catch sight of Apple Bloom's cutie mark again, the painted look still bothering me. On a whim, I call out to her. "Hey, Apple Bloom!"

She stops, and turns toward me. "What do you want?"

I buck my head to the side to indicate her rump. "What's your real cutie mark?" I ask, nonchalant.

Her lips spread into a wicked smirk as she turns toward me so that I can get a good look at it. She rubs the cover-up away from it, revealing a dripping skull, smack dab in the middle of the shiny, red apple. She says nothing, sure that the shock value of it will be enough to answer my own question for me.

I try to remain indifferent as she trots out of the barn, securing the door behind her as she goes. I'm still reeling from the gruesome cutie mark as I look to Applejack. She says nothing, but nods her head at me, answering my question for me, again. It's real. Apple Bloom has a poison apple for a cutie mark.


	3. Chapter 3

It takes a while before I'm even able to speak. In all the history of Equestria - and trust me, I know most of it - there has never been such a sinister cutie mark.

Applejack says nothing. Once upon a time, the silence between us had been nice; that was when we were friends. This time, it's awkward, and makes me shift uncomfortably in my spot. I still can't believe that Apple Bloom is actually evil, or her cutie mark is leading me to believe that she is.

"I'm sorry," Applejack says, her voice barely above a terrified whisper.

I look up and sigh. Holding grudges used to be my thing, but I can see that she has a good explanation for all of this. "It's ok."

"No, Twi, it's not." Applejack says, trotting over closer to me, eventually sitting on her haunches a few feet away from me. "You saw her cutie mark, right?"

I nod. "So, she thinks she can take on Princess Celestia? Not likely..."

Applejack shakes her head at me. "No, she knows she can. The Princess is powerful, but you saw what happened with the changelings..." She's struggling to get the words out, yet, slowly but surely, the truth is pouring out of the pony in front of me. Good old honest Applejack. "Did'ya ever wonder why Princess Luna was nowhere to be seen when the attack was happening? She could have helped, ya'know? Turns out, she was the one behind it all. A few days later, Apple Bloom got her cutie mark, and Luna recruited her to be her right hand."

If there was any color in my face before, it's gone now. Luna, going behind Celestia's back? It seems so unreal. I met the younger princess face-to-face on Nightmare Night. She seemed as sweet as anypony else. I knew she had a grudge against her sister for being trapped in the night, but, I hadn't thought it would brood that kind of hate.

"So, she wants to overthrow Celestia and control Equestria?" I ask, presuming that's what she wants. It seems the only logical explanation.

To my surprise, Applejack shakes her head. "No, she wants to kill Celestia, and anyone that has a chance at stopping her." She gestures her hoof at me. "She can't kill you yet, but after you help her murder Celestia, you're the first on her list."

Suddenly, I feel sick to my stomach. It takes all of my self-control to bite back the sudden, foul splash of acid that comes as I hear her words. "Why me?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"You're the most crucial part of the Elements of Harmony," Applejack says, lowering her hoof to paw at the ground, "and she knows that you would never betray Celestia... and she knows you would never let her kill us."

She's referring to our old group. My mind goes immediately to innocent, sweet Fluttershy, and then Pinkie's clueless, happy self. Surprisingly, it hurts more than it should, after years of separation, to imagine them being torn limb from limb, bathed in crimson, shrieking in pain. I know Rainbow Dash and Applejack could at least hold their own for a little while, and wouldn't go down without a fight. Rarity - well, I can only imagine her complaining about getting stains on her coat.

I thought I had stopped caring a while ago, about the ponies I used to call friends. If I was back at home, in the quiet comfort of my library, safe from harm, and I heard that one or all of them had died, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. Now that I was involved, and key to the entire operation, things seemed to have shifted drastically.

My mind recalls the battle between Discord and the changelings, as well. I find myself missing my friends more than anything, and I sigh, defeated. It seems hopeless, and now that Applejack has told me about Luna's plans, I feel weighed down with responsibility. It's not that I'm not used to responsibility, but it has never been this heavy on my little shoulders before. Literally everypony I've ever loved is at stake.

Applejack remains quiet, just watching me from her spot, idly pawing at the ground. She's radiating shame, and I don't blame her for it, either. If my little sister had turned evil, I'd feel shame, just being related to her. Everything that the Apples stood for turned out to be a lie, since Apple Bloom got her cutie mark. Honesty was now a thing of the past, but I guess, with Applejack, old habits die hard.

I look up from my spot, to see her sulking in her own way. "What happens if she does manage to kill everyone that has a chance at overthrowing her?"

Applejack stirs, lifting her head meekly. "She'll bring eternal night to Equestria, just like she meant to the first time. Don'tcha think that she wouldn't give up on something like that? No one just stops being evil, Twi. She's gonna start a bloody, violent reign."

As much as I hate to admit it, Applejack has a point. You wouldn't know it if you met her, but Luna definitely has a dark side. How prominent it is, I wasn't sure, until just then. Credit where credit is due, Luna has a great talent for hiding her true colors.

I nod at Applejack and gesture to the barn doors. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid Apple Bloom will find out?"

For the first time in years, I see Applejack's familiar smile. It's much smaller than I remember it, and weaker, but it's still there. "C'mon Twi, do you think that little twerp could take me?"

The corners of my mouth twitch reflexively. "Not in a million years."


	4. Chapter 4

Even if Applejack isn't worried about being caught by Apple Bloom, I'm still fretting about it. Who knows what she's been up to in the past few weeks. Probably learning tips and tricks from Luna, on how to torture somepony for information.

Still, I smile weakly at Applejack, knowing it's only a matter of time before the plan comes to fruition. I can't help but think that it's going to come sooner than I want it to. The luxury of time to plan a retaliation is lost to me, more than likely. Without my magic, it's not like I can do much, either. I'm not much of a fighter, and I have no way of trying to win Apple Bloom over with my charm. If I have any assets, it's only my smarts, and I've had that taken from me, too. No libraries around Sweet Apple Acres, that's for sure. Apple Bloom's IQ is proof of the lack of books on the farm. To think, she's trying to take over Equestria. Then again, it could very well turn out that way. Since the Elements split, I guess it was only a matter of time before chaos erupted. It was foolish of all of us to turn a blind eye to it.

By the time Applejack speaks again, my stomach is already in knots, and I feel sick to the very pit of my core. Somehow, I know this is all my fault.

"So, uh, I don't mean to pester ya but, do ya have any plans on what we should do?" She asks.

I swallow my shame and shake my head, tossing my mane around. "Nope. It'd be easy to dupe Apple Bloom and Big Mac if I had my magic, but I don't." I sigh, and rub my hoof against my horn longingly.

"Oh," Applejack says, sighing in unison with me. "I wonder how Fluttershy and Pinkie are doing?"

I shrug my shoulders. "It's too bad I don't have Spike anymore. I could send word to them and Apple Bloom wouldn't be able to intercept it."

All at once, Applejack starts, and she jumps up to stand before me, legs spread apart slightly as if she's ready to wrangle a calf to the ground, grinning wildly. "That's it!"

I jump at her sudden movement and, after quelling my heart's sprinting, narrow my eyes at her. "What's it?"

"Spike!" Applejack says, her eyes lit up like a Hearth's Warming tree.

I frown at her. "What about Spike?"

"We need to get him here."

I gawk at her. "Are you serious? He's not exactly a baby dragon anymore, and that's not to mention how we'd even get him here. I'm stuck here, remember?"

Applejack nods fervently, now pacing around the room. "Yeah, you are, but I'm not."

She's completely ignoring the fact that Spike has grown since the good old days. I feel like my frown is getting deeper. "What happens if you manage to get him here then? Apple Bloom would notice a purple dragon lurking around the barn. Not to mention, Spike probably wouldn't go along with it, anyway, because he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms right now."

The smile is slowly melting off Applejack's face as she nears me. "Well, Twi, that's the best plan we've got right now, isn't it? You're just gonna have to work out your differences for Celestia's sake."

I snort. "Yeah, try telling that to him. He doesn't care what happens to me, or the Princess..."

Applejack goes quiet, deflated a bit by my negativity. She hangs her head and resumes pacing.

I feel like my frown is now permanently etched into my face. It's true. Spike wouldn't care about me, or the Princess, or Applejack, or Dash, Pinkie, or Fluttershy...

All at once it dawns on me. My head snaps up, and I pound my hoof into the ground. "Rarity."

Applejack starts, but tilts her head at me in confusion. "Huh?"

"Rarity!" I hiss, trying to keep my voice down. "He'll buckle for Rarity." If there's one thing that I'm sure of, it's that Spike never got over Rarity. She moved on, but even when she was miles away in Canterlot, Spike was still fawning over her. It became painstakingly obvious in his teenage years, where I would perpetually find pictures of her hidden beneath his bed.

Applejack's smile is back on her face. "Well, I'll be." She says, amazed. "I thought he was over her."

I shake my head. "Far from it. But I know that he's still mad about her. If he has a chance to save her, he will."

"So this is our plan, huh?" Applejack says, coming toward me and sitting on her haunches at my side.

I shrug my shoulders. "It's the best we can do right now. I still haven't figured out what we're gonna do with Spike once we get him here." Ideas have been swimming in my head ever since I came to the Rarity conclusion. "He's a pretty good liar." A trait he had picked up from Dash. "Maybe you could pretend to recruit him for Apple Bloom and Luna?" That only left Applejack. A terrible liar.

I can see her bite down nervously. She knows that it's all hinged upon her success or failure if we do it that way. "I dunno Twi," she says, shifting in her spot.

"It's the only thing I can think of that wouldn't fail right away. There's no way we can hide him, he's too big, and he's loud. He'll have no problem pretending to hate me, and he can be used as a spy when he's around Luna and Apple Bloom." It's all coming out now. This is the only way we can do it.

Applejack is silent for a few minutes. I can tell that she's going over it in her mind, trying to look for an out where she doesn't have to lie. She comes up fruitless after a couple minutes and sighs, defeated. "I'll try my best," she says.

I raise my hoof toward hers. "Shake on it." I say, not giving her any choice but to lock eyes with me and do it.

She manages a tiny smile and then drops it, putting her hoof to mine as we shake. "I promise I'll give it everything I've got."

Now that we've got a plan, Applejack gets up off of her haunches and dusts herself off, pulling herself together. Her game face is on, and she looks at me sternly. It must be around the time where she'll swap off shifts watching me with Big Mac. "Get some sleep," she says, her stern face faltering for just one second to let me know where her loyalties lie.

I smile tiredly at her, not having noticed until now, that the sun is just about to set, and make way for the night.

Patting down the hay pile, I try to smooth it out so it resembles a flat bed. How I'm going to miss getting restful sleep on my soft bed. From here on out, I don't think I'll ever get a restful sleep again, though, so what does it matter?

I curl up on the middle of the hay bed I've made, tucking my hooves up and under my belly, and wrap my tail around my body. It's going to be a long, cold night. I can suffer through it, though... because if I don't, all of Equestria will be swept up in a long, cold night forever.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time I wake up, Applejack is already gone. Big Mac is sitting in the corner of the room, staring me down like I'm about to launch an attack at him at any second. I peer at him through half-closed eyes and shift on my hay bed. I can't say that I had a restful sleep - for the most part, it was restless and troubled, but at least I got some shut eye. My muscles are sore, and I'm chilled to the bone, but I'm still alive, and it doesn't seem like Equestria has fallen into ruin overnight.

As I shift in the hay, Big Mac gets up off his haunches and trots over to the edge of my makeshift bed. He sits down in front of me, his face gruff. "Git up." He says, frowning at me.

I turn to face him, squinting at him and trying to open my eyes. "Why?" I ask, my tone cold and flat. There's no point in getting up - I have nothing to do. No magic to make, no purpose. At least, I don't until Applejack gets back to me.

"Princess Luna will be here soon. She wants ta see ya." Mac says, apparently unhappy with the news that Luna wants to see me, of all people.

I manage a bit of a smirk just to irritate him. Sitting up in the hay, I shake a few stalks of it out of my hair and yawn in Big Mac's face. "Best not to keep the princess waiting, then." I say, getting onto my hooves.

Big Mac seems to be inches away from exploding with rage. He turns his back to me, muttering a few choice words as he leads the way out of the barn.

It'll be my first time seeing the sun since yesterday when I was paraded around like a sacrificial pig to the slaughter. Something tells me that seeing the sun will be a thing of the past before long, so I should enjoy it while I can.

The air outside Sweet Apple Acres' barn is fresh and light, as it usually is. It smells faintly of apples and the lush greenery that supports the orchard, though, that too, goes away as we enter the house, following the direct path to the kitchen.

Big Mac stops beside a chair that I assume I'm supposed to sit on. I trot toward it, and sit down, noticing that no one else has arrived yet. Immediately, I fear the worst. Maybe the conversation I had with Applejack was overheard? Has she been silenced forever, by her own fur and blood? I gnaw my lip nervously as my mind churns out at least a hundred 'what-if' situations. My only hope for saving myself, and all of Equestria lies with Applejack. Without her, I won't stand a chance at getting my magic back... and without my magic, there's no hope for Equestria.

Big Mac sees me fretting, misreading it as being terrified of Luna's arrival. He smirks wildly at me, satisfied with my reaction.

For what seems like hours, I wait in the kitchen with Big Mac before anything happens. In reality, it's only been about five minutes. By this point in time, I've resolved that Applejack is dead, and Spike is never coming to help us with our plan. Subsequently, Equestria is doomed, and my head is next on the chopping block, after Luna is finished using me for my powers.

From deep within my misery, I hear the front door open. The swishing of fine fabric against the floor tells me that it can't be Applejack, or even Apple Bloom. No, this sounds like - "Princess Luna," Big Mac says, his eyes wide and admiring as her royal craziness walks into the room. He drops down to a bow, his nose so far down, it almost touches the floor.

I roll my eyes. Seriously? I had been expecting an entourage of guards, or perhaps even Apple Bloom's accompaniment. No, Luna is alone. If it weren't for Big Mac guarding me, I might have taken my chances at fighting her with only my hooves. She doesn't seem like the type to put up a fight, anyway. I sigh quietly and wait for her to address me.

Luna moves across the kitchen to sit down in front of me, her starry mane twinkling and shimmering as it always does. "Hello, Twilight," she says, already having abandoned the royal Canterlot voice. Somehow, this new voice is more intimidating than her usual bellows. It's quiet, but confident in a poisonous sort of way.

I push past it and raise my eyebrow at her. "What do you want?"

Luna clucks her tongue at me like she's scolding a child. "Don't be rude, now. That won't stand up when I'm Queen."

Fat chance. "What's the 'great plan', then?" I ask, skeptical already.

The princess bucks her head back with laughter, a melodic giggle filling the room. "You say it like it won't work."

I shrug. "I'm betting it won't." I'm trying to read her face for any evidence of a fault in her plan, but she seems confident as ever. This isn't going well.

"But it will." Luna looks me straight in the eye and smirks. "I'm sure you're wondering, how."

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know her plans, but I'm not going to let her play me for a fool. She'll probably tell me a part of it and then leave the rest up to her and Apple Bloom to sort out. She wouldn't tell me, especially seeing as she knows where my loyalties lie. I was a faithful follower of Celestia in my days as a student. She taught me many things, so even after we drifted apart, as I had with everyone else, it would be easy to guess who I would side with if it came down to it.

Alternatively, she could tell me her plan in its entirety, just to screw with my head. The only thing I have going for me is that, in my isolation, I had become one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria. That doesn't help me, trying to read her mind and find out the truth of what is going to happen. She seems confident enough to become cocky - a mistake that I only ever made once. It ended in disaster. Hopefully she'll doom it before it even begins, but it's not likely. Celestia and her sister were, unfortunately, blessed with fortune on their side. How it would work out when they were pitted against each other, I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to find out.

"Whatever," I say, sluffing it off.

She eyes me up, pinching her mouth as she looks at me. "You want to know." It wasn't a question.

I shrug again. "You can either tell me, or keep me in the dark. I don't care. It's not like I really have a choice in the matter, now do I?" I'm starting to get angry now. She's reading me easily, even though I'm sufficient at keeping my emotions in check.

"Tell me that you want to know, and I will tell you." Luna says, settling back in her chair.

I'm angry now. She's trying to make me say that I want to know what her stupid plan is. Yes, it would help to know, but how am I supposed to know if she's not lying to me? I'd forsake my pride for what? Useless information. She wants to see me bend for her, follow her instructions. "No." I say, trying to make my tone final.

Luna doesn't seem perturbed by my refusal. She looks over my shoulder to Big Mac and nods at him once.

Big Mac leaves the room, leaving the two of us alone. "Twilight, I really think you should reconsider."

I stare at her incredulously. "Why? Just so I can hear your wonderful plan that's just going to fail anyway?"

Luna ignores me, and looks toward the kitchen door, as if she's waiting for something. It isn't until a few seconds later that I hear someone coming up the hall.

Big Mac enters the room, pulling someone along with him. They're obscured by Mac, though I'd recognize that whimper anywhere.

Rarity hobbles into the room behind Mac, looking terrified and severely ruffled. She's been bound and gagged; her hair is a mess, and her makeup has run all over her face, presumably from crying. There's marks in her fur from where the rope has been chaffing her. She catches sight of me sitting at the table and does her best to scream my name, although it only comes out as a muffled peep. My heart sinks as I watch her try to run to me. She trips before she gets anywhere, landing face first on the floor.

Big Mac grunts, pulling Rarity back up to her hooves. Tugging her over to the opposite corner of the room, behind Luna, Big Mac keeps her there.

For a while I just stare at Rarity, feeling miserable and hopeless. I don't miss the look of sheer satisfaction on Luna's face as she gazes at the horror on mine. "Let her go, she hasn't done anything to harm you." I manage, tearing my eyes off of Rarity to look at Luna.

"On the contrary," Luna says, sighing like it's a lost cause to even explain this to me, "she's part of the elements of harmony, don't you remember?"

I growl at her. "So?"

"So," she says, looking utterly bored, "she, and the rest of you miscreants have the ability to... hinder my plans." She looks back at me, fluffing up her hair. "But, I'm prepared to make you a deal. I know you don't want your dear Rarity to die."

At the word 'die', I can hear Rarity give a squeal of horror, followed by an attempt to escape Big Mac's restraint. He grunts again, tugging violently on the rope so that Rarity goes flying back to her original spot beside him, her haunches hitting the wall in the process. She whimpers in pain, and quivers before me, begging me with her eyes to help her.

I turn my eyes back to Luna, trying to keep myself from giving away too much about how much this is affecting me. "What kind of deal?"

Luna smiles. "It's quite simple. You help me, and I help you, by not killing everyone you love."

I blanch at her. She's not only threatening Rarity, but everyone that I love? I guess I should have seen it coming. Still, I don't find the thought of my mother, father, and brother roiling in pain very savory. "What do you want me to do?"

Luna seems pleased with my answer. "Tell me you want to know my plan, and I will tell you," she repeats.

I try to beat back the flames of hate that spew up when I look at her face now. Back to this. I don't want to show her that she has control over me - but as much as I hate to say it, she's got me dangling from her strings like some sort of pony marionette. "I want to know your plan."

Luna looks like she's over the moon with glee. "Then I shall tell you, Twilight." She shifts in her chair to lean closer toward me. "It's very simple. You write to Celestia and ask her to take you on as an assistant. You get there, and then you kill her." She claps her hooves together, beaming. "Simple!"

I look at the princess, baffled. "You want me," I say, trying to comprehend the boat load of stupid that just left Luna's mouth, "to kill Celestia?"

"Yes," she says simply.

"And how am I supposed to do that without magic? Let alone, get close enough to her for that to happen? Even as her student, we were never alone. Especially since the attack of the changelings, her security has been ramped up tenfold."

Luna shrugs. "That isn't my problem. Get creative. I'm sure you could work something out with your friends' and family's lives on the line." She looks at me, deathly serious. "All I care about is that you kill her. Once you've successfully done that, I won't touch a hair on anyone's coat that you love." She stands up, fluffing up her hair once more before she turns her back to me, starting to walk out of the room. "I'll give you some time to think it over."

I stare after her, my brain not able to process what just happened. Luna manages to make it to the kitchen door before I do the unthinkable. "I'll do it." I blurt out, my eyes trained on Rarity.

Luna looks over her shoulder at me and chuckles darkly. "I knew you would," she says, flicking her tail before exiting the room.


	6. Chapter 6

The house door opens and closes again as Luna makes her exit, leaving Big Mac, Rarity, and myself. I have to assume that Rarity's magic has been stolen as well, because she's just sitting there taking the abuse. Maybe that was the easiest thing to do.

Big Mac glares at me, as I look at Rarity. She looks so frail and helpless - it's the only excuse I have for volunteering myself up for this suicide mission. I've never been one to really care about anypony else, but seeing Rarity like this must have struck a chord in me. Before I knew what I was doing, I had agreed to it, to save Rarity and everypony else I love from this fate. One thing is for certain - if I don't get this right, it won't just be my head that Luna will demand.

Big Mac looks angry, as if he's furious with the fact that Luna has given him babysitting duty. A while passes before anything happens. Big Mac says nothing, but refuses to move - and well, Rarity looks too terrified to put another hoof out of line. Me, I'm just waiting for whatever comes next. My day can not get any worse.

A few seconds later, I hear hooves coming down the stairs. Apple Bloom enters the kitchen; as it seems, I've spoken too soon. My day is about to get a lot worse. I groan a bit under my breath, ignoring the smirk on Apple Bloom's face.

"Hello, miscreant." she says, addressing me. Clearly, she was eavesdropping on the conversation I had with Luna.

"Hello," I retort, openly glaring at her, "what do you want?"

She chuckles darkly and shakes her head at me. "It's not what I want - it's what Princess Luna wants."

I look at her as if she's stupid. "And what does Luna want?" I say, not bothering with her title.

"She wants you to write a letter," Apple Bloom says, producing a piece of parchment and a quill. "_The_ letter," she reminds me, "to Celestia."

"At least take Rarity out of her bonds," I say. I know I'm in no position to start bargaining, but I can't stand to look at Rarity like this any longer.

Apple Bloom scowls at me, looking at me for a minute to see if I mean business.

I return the scowl with one of my own, growling at her under my breath.

Seemingly, she is convinced by my hostility, and nods to Big Mac to let Rarity go.

Scared and shaking, Rarity doesn't make a sound as her bindings are untied. She's a wreck, and she knows it. I resist the urge to go to her side and comfort her.

"Hop to it, Twilight," Apple Bloom says, bucking my chair to make me look at the parchment on the table. "Tick-tock."

I jostle as she hits the chair, glaring at her constantly over my shoulder until she trots toward her older brother to speak with him in a hushed tone. I can't hear them, so instead, I turn my face toward the parchment and take the quill between my teeth.

After some time, I've finished the letter.

Amazingly enough, Apple Bloom and Big Mac hadn't interrupted me once - and I was pleased to find out that my letter writing skills are still as good as ever. Well, it sounds believable enough to convince Celestia that I want to go back to Canterlot and study under her again.

"I'm done," I announce, pushing the paper away from myself with my hoof.

Apple Bloom trots toward me, grabbing the paper from the table, reading it over once before she sighs and hands it to Big Mac, who leaves us immediately.

"It's acceptable," she says, moving toward Rarity and giving her a kick to nudge the white pony toward me. "Take this despicable thing back to the barn with you, Twilight. When I decide to feed you, you'll get dinner."

Rarity gives a meager whimper as she's kicked and shuffles along the floor toward me. She doesn't dare say anything in front of Apple Bloom - and this scares me more than it should. Even when Rarity was taken by Spike when he was in his grabby phase, she wouldn't shut up. Even Rarity knows that Apple Bloom means business, and she's definitely not missed the evil cutie mark.

I take Rarity under my arm, ignoring Apple Bloom as she laughs to herself, her evil giggle ringing in my ears, even as the two of us hobble down the hall and out the door.

Clearly, she trusts us not to run. Perhaps the Acres are booby trapped, and ready to make us suffer, if we want to run. I make a mental note to ask Applejack to look into it, if by some chance, she's still alive and kicking.

"T-Twilight-" Rarity sputters, once we're out of earshot of Apple Bloom and her madness, "what - what's going on?" There's a tone in her voice that I've never heard from her before. It's beyond scared. Rarity is actually terrified.

I bite my lip. I don't think she really understands what's at risk, and I'm not sure I want to tell her. "Luna wants to take over Equestria." I say, my voice hushed as I look over my shoulder.

"She c-can't be serious... Celestia wouldn't allow that to happen."

I shake my head, "You heard her. She wants to kill Celestia. Or, rather, she wants me to kill Celestia."

Rarity hobbles into the barn, and I close the door behind us. Her voice is hoarse as she shudders at the state of the barn. I guess old habits die hard. "Twilight, really, are you going to kill Celestia?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I haven't really thought about it." Really, I don't want to murder anypony. Especially the one mare that I ever really respected. Celestia understood my thirst for knowledge, and only she could understand how I felt when I was just a student... but if it came down to having to take her life for the sake of everyone else's... I don't know what I'd do. I don't trust Luna to leave us alone, but resistance seems futile. The first thought that comes to my mind is to reach out to Celestia for help. Surely she would know what to do about this whole ordeal. Maybe if I told her that Luna wanted her dead, she would rise up against her sister. Maybe then, it wouldn't even come down to me having to find a way to kill her. I sigh to myself, knowing that Luna will be expecting this. At the moment, my options are getting slimmer and slimmer.

"You mean you're actually considering doing it? Twilight, darling, don't you think that's a bit..." Rarity says, shooting me an apprehensive gaze, "morose?"

I move toward her and sit down on my haunches. The ground is hard and hurts my rump, but I don't really notice it. My brain is still swimming with the discussion I had with Luna earlier. "I don't know, Rarity. It's easy to say I wouldn't, but I can't... not when she's threatening to murder everyone else. Even if she doesn't keep her promise to let everyone go free... I can't rule anything out yet." How easily things have turned to dark. My thoughts now revolve around murder, betrayal and having to choose who gets to live and who has to die. Even in my nightmares, Equestria has never been so fragile, and it's all in my hooves now. I huff a brief laugh to myself at the irony of it all. How often I had felt like the world was on my shoulders. Really, now it is.

Rarity frowns at me, looking tired. She says nothing, but lays down on the hay, awkwardly licking her leg wounds. Clearly, she's not satisfied with my answer.

After a few minutes of silence, she stops licking her wounds and looks toward me, her eyes sparkling in what little light there is. She's on the verge of tears again. "The Twilight Sparkle that I knew would never even have had to think twice about this." She says, her words aiming to cut deep at my heart.

Unsurprisingly, it etches anger into my mind. "Yeah, well, the Twilight Sparkle that you knew changed when everypony left her behind to get on with their lives."

Rarity scowls at me, her nose up in the air already. "You can't seriously blame us for this."

I growl at her, forcing myself into a standing position, my hoof stomping at the dirty floorboards. "I can, and I will." I stomp my hoof in her direction again, my eyes ablaze with anger. "What happened to friendship when you moved to Canterlot? What happened to it when Dash went to the Wonderbolts and forgot about us all? When everyone left, I was the only one without anyone. And now, just like always, it's my job to piece it all together again. I'd like to see you try and do it. You can't even go one second without thinking about yourself anymore, I bet." I spit at the ground. "Generosity, my hoof!"

At first, Rarity looks astonished. Several long, awkward seconds pass before she even says anything. Her tone is soft, and sounds hurt. "I can't believe you, Twilight," she says, her eyes on the floor now, "you've changed... and not for the better. You were the brightest of us all... and now look what you've become. You're contemplating murder, betrayal, and you're lashing out at everyone but yourself. We left because we knew we had to grow up. You stayed behind in Ponyville in your library. I can't count how many times I sent you letters asking about you and how you were doing, but there were no replies. Your magic has gone to your head, and now since you've become powerful, Luna is trying to use that against Celestia. You are the one that is at fault. Not anyone else, just you." Rarity sighs, turning her back to me. "It doesn't matter, anyway. You're going to let Equestria down, just like you let down your friends."

Now it's my turn to stay in abashed silence. My cheeks burn pink, embarrassment skirting my face all over. I know, underneath it all, Rarity's explanation is correct, as much as I want to deny it.

I turn and walk away from her, but my mind is still swimming with her words as I settle down into the hay. Maybe I am at fault. Either way, I have to clean up the mess.

Hours pass before anything happens. Rarity, though now having succumbed to sleep, hasn't said a word to me, and I haven't stirred from my spot. My mind has been a wreck, trying to keep from going insane. Admittedly, I'm not doing a very good job at formulating a plan, especially since Rarity's little speech has gotten me in between a rock and a hard place.

Only when the barn door creaks and swings open do I even stir. My head turns to the noise; the sky streams in through the crack in the door, a brilliant shade of purple, pink and orange. It's getting late, but I don't care. The sun illuminates a butterscotch pony trotting into the barn, and even in the low light, I can tell that it's Applejack.

I get to my hooves, cantering toward her; she's got two trays of day-old grass in her mouth, hindering her movements. I take one from her and set it down, and she puts the other one in front of the sleeping form that is Rarity. Thankfully, she hasn't been on my back this entire time, and I'll be able to talk to Applejack in peace.

I usher her over to the corner of the barn I've been occupying, and she follows me, a grim look on her face as she looks over her shoulder at Rarity's bruised and tired form. "They got Rarity, huh?" She says, turning to me once we sit down.

I nod grimly. "Yeah... is there any news on Spike?"

Applejack shakes her head at me, her mane tossing around. "I suggested to Big Mac that Applebloom would probably be pleased with him if he told her that Spike was looking for 'alternative work'." Her shoulders shrug lightly. "Let's hope he's dumb enough to fall for it. He always wants her approval and praise; I figure he should be tellin' her by tomorrow."

I perk my eyebrow. That was actually a pretty genius move. "Nice going," I say, unable to help myself but remember the adoring look that he was giving Apple Bloom the last time I saw them together. I screw up my nose in digust, hoping that nothing is going on between them. That would only be the cherry on top of it all.

Applejack gives me a gruff smile. "Not countin' chickens before they hatch, Twi. If this don't work, I don't know what to do."

I paw over the tray of grass to myself, taking a mouthful and chewing the stale grass before I respond. "Well, either way we don't have a lot of time. Luna showed herself today, and demanded I write a letter to Celestia begging her to take me back under her wing as her student." I swallow the dry blades with some effort. "Whether or not we're ready, Luna is making her move, and we need to catch up."


	7. Chapter 7

Applejack doesn't seem like the idea of Luna making me write the letter to Celestia is anything new to her. She shakes her head slightly, her eyes tired as they train on the floor in front of me. "I heard," she says, the fight in her voice nothing but a shadow.

"Apple Bloom?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

She nods. "My lil' sister likes to brag."

I sigh. "It may play to our advantage one day, you never know." My nose goes back down to the grass - I haven't noticed how famished I'd become in the last day. Even stale, the grass goes down without any qualm. I know if I complain, it won't get any better, so there's no use in wasting energy on it.

Applejack watches me eat for a few minutes. We make small talk as I finish off the grass; neither of us brings up the pressing issues. Both of us know that there's no point in talking about that, either. We've done what we can for the time being, and now all we have to do is wait.

After some time, Applejack gets up, taking my tray back in her teeth and bids me goodnight with a nod of her head. With that, she's gone, presumably back to her sister with news of my developments. For my sake, I hope that Applejack's honesty doesn't get the better of her.

I lay down in the scanty hay, my eyes finding the sleeping form of Rarity to focus on. By now, the chill of night has set in, and I can see her shivering. A frown comes to my face. I turn my head and curl up, tucking my tail in, waiting for morning to come.

When I wake the next morning, it's with a start, and a flood of pain. I'm not even conscious when the pain hits, surging through my stomach, jarring me awake. I groan, rolling over onto my back, my hooves curling in.

"Get up, lazy." A not unfamiliar voice demands.

I moan in pain again, my eyes fluttering open. Blurry at first, they fixate on Spike standing in front of me, a smug smirk on his face.

"I said, get up." He says, not hesitating to kick me again, this time in the knee.

I roil in pain, cussing as I struggle to do as I'm told. I can tell that I'm going to be bruised already. Spike never did know his own strength. My mind is flooding with thoughts, and none of them are turning out to be good. Clearly, Spike is here, which means that Mac dropped the hint to Apple Bloom, and it was a good enough lie to get him here. But, that doesn't explain why he's kicking me awake, or the smug, irritating smile on his lips.

Once I'm able to stand, for the most part, I get my first good look around. Rarity is gone, and Spike and I aren't alone. Apple Bloom is standing in between the door of the barn and Spike, watching me with the same cruel smirk on her face.

"What do you want?" I cough out. Last night's grass is threatening to make a reappearance, and all the kicking isn't helping.

"C'mon, buddy," Spike says, his tone condescending and heavily laden with something eerily close to sarcasm. "I thought you'd be happy to see me. After all, we're going to Canterlot together. Just like old times."

I grimace. I should have known that Apple Bloom would warp Spike against me. Then again, since I evicted Spike from the library, he hasn't exactly held me in the highest regard. In my mind, I'm kicking myself for not seeing that it would go this way. "Fun stuff," I say, mirroring his tone. "Nothing like a good morning kick in the gut, reminds me of the old days."

He sneers at me, choosing not to dignify my sarcasm with a response. "Celestia has seen fit to take you under her wing again. A letter came this morning, through yours truly." He says, producing a scroll with a broken seal, waving it in my face. "Touching, really. She's worried about you."

My heart surges at the words. I know it's silly, but the thought of the only person who cares about me being put to death by my own hand is severely disheartening. "Great. Let's go then." I say, staggering forward, trying not to put any weight on my injured knee.

Spike smirks, this time a bit too wide for me to find trustworthy. "Apple Bloom thinks we're almost ready. We just need to dress you up for the princess before we ship off."

I arch my brow at him, my mouth turning down as I begin backing away from him. "Dress me up?"

That was mistake number one. His hands whip out from behind his colossal body, gripping me in a vice before I even have time to properly react. Bruised, I still do my best at fidgeting in his grip before Apple Bloom casually saunters toward us, a strange looking necklace in her teeth.

Minutes later, and it's on me. It's tight enough not to be able to get off, and cause me discomfort, which Apple Bloom thinks is marvelous, judging by the sadistic look on her face. Never have I so much wanted to rub her face in a big pile of steaming - "There," Apple Bloom says, backing away from me as Spike sets me down. "Don't you look perdy."

"Great." I say, raising my hoof to try and move the collar.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Apple Bloom says, her wicked smirk curling her lips again.

No sooner had she said it, my hoof had managed to barely grace the collar enough to budge it a fraction of an inch, when a powerful shock surges through me, sending me reeling for the second time today. First, being kicked awake and now a shock collar! My body seizes, though my eyes and ears are still working. My teeth locked together from the sheer power of the surge, and yet I can see and hear Apple Bloom's cruel laugh. "I told you not to do that."

It takes me a minute to recover fully. The feeling comes back to my legs and at last, my body is mine to control again. I won't lie, I'm impressed with the magic in this collar, but I can tell that it's dark, and permeated with evil. What else could I expect from Apple Bloom? "Thanks.." I manage, my voice a touch hoarse. "What the hell is this for, anyway? You think I'd just look nice with a collar on? Weirdo."

Apple Bloom rolls her eyes and trots over to me, her nose just inches from mine as she nears me. "No, silly Twilight. This is a special collar from Luna herself. It regulates your magic when we're not around to do it." She says, matter-of-fact. "Canterlot is an awful big place, and we wouldn't want you to get any brilliant ideas, now would we?"

I sigh. "So you're just going to zap me any time I try to get it off, huh?"

Apple Bloom nods, beaming from ear to ear. "That and any time we think you're getting too creative for our plan to go smoothly." She nods to Spike. "Spike here will be watching you. Constantly."

"Joy."

"Come along now," she says, turning on her hooves and facing the bright, sunny day outside the barn. "We wouldn't want you to be late to your homecoming."


End file.
